Clinical Practice

Dr Malcolm Walker’s clinical commitments are best summarised as providing clinical care for patients with, or at risk of developing heart or cardiovascular illnesses. This spans inpatient and outpatient consultations, diagnostic procedures as well as interventional treatments.

Dr Walker’s work for the NHS is at University College Hospital (UCH) and its specialist division, based at the Heart Hospital. This NHS Foundation Trust is regularly acknowledged to be amongst the top three Trusts in the UK. University College, the associated academic institution, where Malcolm is an Honorary Senior Lecturer, is rated to be one of the top four universities in the world.

He was appointed in 1987 to University College and Middlesex Hospitals in London to provide specialist cardiovascular care for these two large city centre hospitals. Dr Walker joined one cardiologist colleague to provide cover for the UCH site, whilst supporting the invasive and cardiac surgical centre based at the Middlesex Hospital.

In succeeding years the cardiology department expanded to include over 15 clinical cardiologists and six surgeons. Clinical services relocated to the Heart Hospital in 2001. Dr Walker and four colleagues continue to provide an inpatient consultation service for the medical wards at the new UCH tower.

During his appointment he has been responsible for the initiation and development of cardiovascular rehabilitation, the Hatter Cardiovascular Institute and specialist cardiology services for patients with inherited disorders of haemoglobin.

Dr Walker’s specific cardiac interventional responsibilities have included angiography and angioplasty (PCI). The Heart Hospital was one of the first in London, if not the UK to provide a 24 hr, 7 days per week emergency angioplasty (PPCI) service for patients with acute heart attack, receiving patients directly from trained ambulance personnel.

As of April 2014, Dr Walker ceased undertaking primary angioplasty and stent procedures as a first operator, having successfully performed many thousands of interventions, with a very low complication rate. He continues to undertake diagnostic catheterisation of the right and left heart and assist colleagues with complex cardiac catheterisation, training and other interventional coronary work (specifically rotablation), at the Heart Hospital.